The Inside Track

Costantino Sets NCAA Hit Streak

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Damian Costantino, who plays for Division III Salve Regina, R.I., broke New York Yankee third baseman Robin Ventura's NCAA baseball record for consecutive games with a hit on Monday, singling against Mount Union, Ohio, to extend his run to 59.

Costantino, a 24-year-old outfielder from Warwick, R.I., hit a run-scoring single to center field with one out in the third inning.

Ventura, an All-Star who also played for the New York Mets and Chicago White Sox, set the old college mark when he hit in 58 games in a row for Division I Oklahoma State in 1987.

Costantino's streak began in 2001, hitting safely in the final 21 games of the 2001 season, then all 35 games in 2002. Salve Regina opened the season Sunday with a doubleheader.